Home > USA >
Officer charged in shooting that was streamed on Facebook

Officer charged in shooting that was streamed on Facebook

Carrie Doyle | November 27, 2016, 8:33

The Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Philando Castile at a traffic stop has turned himself in on manslaughter charges.

Officer Jeronimo Yanez was also charged with two felony counts of intentional discharge of a risky weapon, for endangering the safety of Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her four-year-old daughter.

"And I don't know where the gun was, he didn't tell me where the [expletive] gun was and then it was just getting hinky, he gave, he was just staring ahead, and the I was getting [expletive] nervous, and then I told him, I know I [expletive] told him to get his [expletive] hand off his gun", Yanez told a St. Anthony police officer minutes after the shooting. Choi recounted how Castile had calmly told Yanez that he was carrying a firearm, and had a permit to do so.

Both incidents further exposed the tensions between United States police and African Americans, triggering "Black Lives Matter" protests throughout the country. Kelly has also said that one reason Yanez made the stop was because he thought Castile looked like a possible match for an armed robbery suspect. The report further states that Yanez told Castille not to reach for his weapon, to which Castille replied "I'm not pulling it out".

His girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle as the incident unfolded recorded what appeared to be the aftermath in a Facebook Live video with her daughter in the back seat. Choi has noted that Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman reviewed evidence in the Clark case for seven weeks before deciding that the officers should not be criminally charged in Clark's death.

Valerie Castile, mother of Philando Castile, speaks during a press conference on November 16, 2016, in Minneapolis.

Both Yanez and Kauser have been with their police department for four years, and they were considered model students before receiving their degrees in law enforcement in 2010.

"We want peace", she said.

He's expected to appear in court for the first time Friday after being charged with three felony counts for shooting and killing Philando Castile this past July. This is what the law says and this is the charge they brought.

"Police officers in Minnesota and across the country face pressures of life and death situations daily", Dennis Flaherty, executive director of the association, said in a statement.

Reynolds and her attorney recalled how quickly she pulled out her phone and began streaming, saying the video was a factor in Choi's decision.

According to the criminal complaint, Yanez pulled over Castile, 32, on Larpenteur Avenue near Fry Street in Falcon Heights because he matched the description of a suspect in a gas station robbery due to his "wide-set nose". Founded in 1846, AP has covered all the major news events of the past 165 years, providing high-quality, informed reporting of everything from wars and elections to championship games and royal weddings. "We hope all people can understand that and can refrain from judgment". He said that after an extensive investigation, he had determined that Yanez did not have reasonable cause to open fire on Castile during the July 6, incident in suburban Falcon Heights, Minnesota.

"I would much rather defend this case than prosecute it", he said, adding that the video streamed by Reynolds showed an officer who was clearly distraught but maintained a position of authority.

Family members of a Minnesota man fatally shot by a police officer in a traffic stop in July says they are pleased that the officer has been charged with manslaughter.